The Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts is excited to announce the 7th Annual Boston Local Food Festival! On Sunday, September 18, 2016, the Festival will return to the Rose F Kennedy Greenway in downtown Boston and transform the park into the nation's largest local and sustainable food hub!

The Boston Local Food Festival is a free outdoor festival that showcases farmers, local restaurants, food trucks, specialty food producers, fisher folks, and organizations focusing on healthy food and fitness from New England. The Festival also features lively chef & DIY demos, a seafood throwdown competition, diverse music and performances, family fun zone and more. In 2015, the Festival attracted over 140 vendors and 50,000 attendees. 

Festival goers learn about the benefits of sustainably grown and produced food, shop the market, eat delicious local food, participate in fun, educational activities and exhibits, engage with top local chefs and enjoy local music. Themed "Healthy Local Food for All", the Festival connects Massachusetts and New England eaters of all backgrounds with the abundance of fresh, nutritious local food choices available close to home.

The Festival is a zero-waste event, meaning we divert over 91% of our waste each year and we offset 100% of our energy use! All perishable items sold are made from locally sourced products. Best of all, we bring this annual event to the community free of charge. So grab your reusable water bottles and bags and enjoy New England's largest one day farmers market, while celebrating "Healthy Local Food for All"

SBN is excited to announce our 6th Annual Local Craft Brewfest on June 10 and 11 at Arts at the Armory in Somerville. Tickets are available now!

Choose from 3 sessions:

Friday, June 10, 2016, 6:30 - 9:30pm (plus Cask-conditioned beers from selected brewers)
Saturday, June 11, 2016, 3:00 - 6:00pm
Saturday, June 11, 2016, 7:00 - 10:00pm

Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest is an annual tasting fundraiser presented by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts (SBN) that highlights and promotes local brewers of beer, newly established breweries, cider & mead, artisan beverage makers, and local food vendors.

The Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest is a unique event that not only showcases local beverage producers, but also showcases local brews incorporating local ingredients. SBN's definition of local starts in Massachusetts and encompasses all of New England. Hyper-Local means local producers (from New England) making products with ingredients from New England. Examples in the past have included brews made with local hops, apples, cranberries, grapes and even local oysters. While having unlimited 2oz tastings from local brewers, you can also sample and purchase delicious local food from local food vendors.

What's included with admission? 

Unlimited tastings from our participating brewers, craft brewers, cideries, meaderies, artisan beverage vendors + Unlimited samples from participating local food vendors, serving size food for sale + Live music and entertainment + Festival Guide with listing of all vendors + Compostable tasting cup + Supporting the local food movement by raising much needed funds for the Boston Local Food Program

Welcome to the Newest Members of our Growing Network! 

All Fruit Inc  was started so the founders could share their love of dried fruit with family, friends and anyone who is looking for an alternative health snack. Simple in nature, with packaging that allows easy traveling, it can be taken and eaten anywhere; hiking, camping, the car, the beach, the movies, school backpacks and the list goes on! Visit their website and take a look at the great varieties that they have to offer. 

Carr's Cider House  has a small footprint but a big, beautiful taste! They are a family-run operation committed to handcrafting small batch, barrel-aged hard ciders as well as apple cider-based products for the pantry. Their historic orchard is located on the northwest slope of Mt. Warner in Massachusetts, overlooking the breathtakingly beautiful Connecticut River Valley. Click here

The Farmer's Cow  is a group of six Connecticut family-owned farms dedicated to putting a face on Connecticut agriculture. They encourage people to visit their farms to see the cows and learn about dairy farming. Along with dairy products, they also sell locally-sourced eggs, apple cider, summer beverages and locally roasted coffee. Find where to buy their products here

Foxpoint Pickling  loves pickles, flavor and Rhode Island! Since Rhode Island didn't have a great pickle to call its own, Fox Point Picking decided to step up and give the Ocean State a delicious small batch pickle to call their own. Located on the east side of Providence, the team learned how to make pickles, perfected their recipe, tricked their friends and neighbors into tasting everything and came up with a plan. Now you can enjoy these delicious, Rhode Island made pickles at your next  barbecue , brunch or clam bake!

Harvest Coop  is a community-owned market with two stores in the greater Boston area: one in Cambridge's Central Square and one on Washington St in JP. With over 4,000 member-owners, Harvest specializes in organic, natural and wholesome food choices. You will find fresh, local produce in season, fresh fish right off the pier, local and imported cheeses, naturally raised meat, bulk spices, unique wines and beer and more! Visit one of their stores to check out their selection and support another great local business!

The Kitchen Garden  is a 25-acre, Certified Organic vegetable farm located near Sunderland, MA. The land has been divided into smaller sections to allow many different types of crops to be planted. Their growing practices reflect their deep commitment to the quality of their products, the health of their land and the safety of their workers. They only use natural products and sustainable techniques to grow their vegetables, and in 2014 became Certified Organic. 

Koy  seeks to create a new experience for locals and tourists alike - a unique blend of old-world Korean cuisine paired with fresh, international flavors. With influences that hail from half a world away, they look for the perfect combination of flavors and ingredients to achieve the perfect dish. Koy provides a warm, intimate experience in the middle of one of Boston's busiest neighborhoods!

Pemberton Farms  has been maintaining unmatched levels of product quality and customer service for 86 years. As a unique combination of specialty grocery store, garden center, and premium gift business, the store has transformed from its beginnings as a fruit and vegetable shop. They offer a wide variety of natural, organic and locally sourced products as well as gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, GMO-free, fair trade and more! Visit their shop or website to learn more!

Q's Nuts is a small family-owned and operated artisan nut company founded in 2000 with the simple philosophy that wholesome ingredients, a love of good food, and a passion for creating in the kitchen would create some of the best tasting roasts around. Q's Nuts are only made in small batches with the finest ingredients, always assuring a fresh quality product. Their line of sweet, savory, and exotic flavors are inspired by meals enjoyed, places visited and closely held family recipes. 

Silloway Maple  is a family run business, established in 1944 in Randolph Center, VT. They produce 100% pure Vermont maple syrup that is strictly graded according to Vermont standards for color, flavor, and density. Visit their website to see their products, events and recipes and read Bette's blog to learn more about Silloway Maple!

Vicki Lee's Bakeshop  is the creation of Watertown, MA native, Vicki Lee Boyajian.  Located in Cushing Square in Belmont, MA, Vicki Lee's opened in 2006 and features an upscale and chic environment that Vicki Lee has carefully crafted both in her shop and offsite. Vicki Lee's is a restaurant and cafe as well as a full service catering and take-away shop. Peruse the menus on their website and try their delicious offerings yourself!

Renewing Members

Cambridge Brewing Company  is nationally acclaimed and locally cherished. Since their inception in 1989, Cambridge Brewing has been at the forefront of the Pub Brewery Movement. They operate as sustainably as possible, striving for zero waste. Their spent grain from the brewing process is used as animal feed by local farmers, all of their lighting is LED, their cleaning supplies are non-toxic, and they encourage their staff to bike to work! They also change their menu seasonably, based on availability of ingredients from local farmers and producers. 

Cambridge Naturals was founded in 1974 with the vision of establishing a community natural health store. Their mission is to provide the best choices in nutritional supplements for health and wellness, clean body care products and organic foods. They are committed to sourcing products locally, organically, and ethically via fair trade and direct trade channels and donating a portion of their profits to social and environmental organizations that impact their community. 

Delta Foodservice Group  is a part of the Delta Group which offers financial services to small and medium manufacturing companies in central Massachusetts. The Delta Food service Group was launched in the beginning of 2013, formalizing a network with half a dozen industry veterans. Delta Foodservice Group has received recognition for their work with the Paris Creperie and other local food businesses. 

Equal Exchange 's mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound, to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers and to demonstrate through their success the contribution of worker cooperatives and Fair Trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world. 

Fair Food Network launched the Fair Food Fund in 2012 to grow the 'missing middle' and build robust regional food systems - systems that support the health of people, the environment, and the economy. The Fund provides financing and business assistance to good food enterprises that connect small and mid-size farms with consumers hungry for local, sustainably grown food. The Fair Food Fund not only helps entrepreneurs succeed but builds a pipeline of investment-ready enterprise, providing a vehicle for funders looking to make a meaningful difference in our food system. 

Sustainable America was founded in 2012 and since then has made a direct impact on food and fuel sustainability through campaigns, consulting, investments and events. Some of their proudest accomplishments include educating 17,800,000 people, diverting 26,600,000 pounds of food waste from the landfills  and saving 70,000 tanks of gas. 

Cambridge Local First 

CLF presents LocalBuzz on Wednesday, March 30 in the Venture Cafe at the Cambridge Innovation Center from 5:00-8:00pm. Come and taste local Cambridge treats including beer, coffee, chocolate, and honey. The first 150 guests will receive a free gift bag! This event is free but RSVP is required!

JP Local First

On Sunday, March 6, Quinton Zondervan, Cindy Luppi, Marc Breslow and Emily Kirkland of the Climate Action Business Association (CABA) were featured on the 7News Urban Update. The four were interviewed by host Alberto Vasallo and discussed climate pricing in Massachusetts. The discussion treated climate change as a widely-acknowledged problem in Massachusetts and showed carbon pricing to be a mainstream solution. Watch the entire interview here.

Plastic bags have huge negative environmental impacts and municipalities are taking notice! The City of Brookline and others have banned the use of plastic bags, Cambridge's Bring your Own Bag Ordinance takes effect on March 31 and Somerville will ban plastic bags at the end of 2016. More cities are realizing the need to take this step - get a head start and make it a habit to start bringing your own reusable bag today!